Customer Reviews

Museums and the Representation of Native Canadians: Negotiating the Borders of Culture (Native Americans: Interdisciplinary Perspectives)

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I was a close friend of the author, and helped prepare the manuscript for publication after she passed away. This book will be of great relevance to anyone interested in history, museography, communication, anthropology, ethnography, and art history. It is an ambitious and scholarly attempt to review the history and practices of museum exhibitions of Native Canadians, and addresses fundamental questions: when and why are objects considered "art" vs. "artifacts"? How should non-Native museums and curators approach the challenges of exhibiting cultures they do not belong to? Building on Clifford's art/artifact, authentic/inauthentic analytical axes, Moira's study enriches our understanding of how Western culture has chosen to re-present the history and cultures of Native peoples in Canada--in settings where traditionally there has not been space allowed for Native voices themselves to be heard. Although the book is focused on Canada, the issues are relevant to Native populations anywhere in the world. Needless to say, I strongly recommend this book!